When a Wolf Walks Alone
by Zebiax
Summary: When Kate makes the ultimate decision as an Alpha to unite the packs... poor Humphrey leaves Jasper, tormented by his loneliness... and faced with something he had long since forgotten. How will he overcome the trials he's faced with? Will he overcome them at all? What happens when a single Omega leaves his pack to fend for himself? LillyxHumphrey, GarthxKate
1. A Wolf's Darkness

**_Author's Note: Hello, lovely readers. I've been trying to mold me a good plot line for an Alpha & Omega fanfic for a while now. I really enjoyed the movie, but I've been having such a hard time shaping a good fanfic plot for it. I'm still a little unsure of how this fanfic will turn out, and I'm not 100% sure I'll ever really finish it... but hey, here goes. I wanted to start this bad boy off with a prologue that goes into the years before the events of the actual movie, with Humphrey, Lilly, and Kate still as young pups. I don't own Alpha & Omega or any characters within and blah-blah-blah, you know the rules._**

* * *

"Keep yourself loose… breathe steadily." Winston smiled at Humphrey. He was only a young pup… but he had a dexterity and prowess that matched or even went beyond some of his fully trained Alphas. Humphrey eyed the caribou and slowly advanced.

"Now, now, Humphrey… you're hardly ready to attack. I don't think you could take down a full grown caribou just ye-"

Humphrey sprang forward. His teeth were latched around the caribou's jugular. The caribou bucked around frantically. Winston dashed over to help Humphrey. There's no way the little pup had enough strength to hold on to the panicking caribou.

Blood spurted from the neck of the beast and it fell to the ground… twitching a handful of times before going completely still. Winston's eyes widened and froze in place. There was no way it was possible. Humphrey began tearing at the caribou.

There was a ferocity in Humphrey's eyes that Winston couldn't overlook. He hadn't seen that look in a wolf's eyes in many years. Even as a young pup… Humphrey was becoming crazed off of his instinct.

_Kill… kill… kill… kill!_ Humphrey's mind swirled with nothing but the idea of spilling blood… His teeth ripped flesh off of the wild caribou and blood began to spurt from its carcass, pouring over him. _Hunt… hunt… hunt… hunt!_ Humphrey's eyes shot up from the caribou, his nose sniffing madly for another creature to kill… to consume…

"Humphrey! Humphrey, stop!" Winston tackled the young wolf and pinned him to the ground. "Humphrey, it's me, Winston… Focus! Don't lose yourself." Humphrey fought him, snarling at him angrily. This was not good… Raising a paw, Winston struck Humphrey harshly on the side of his head, knocking him out cold…

* * *

Humphrey awoke dazed and confused. He saw Winston staring at him with a concerned look on his face. He tried to stand up, but a roaring ache in his skull pushed him back down. He groaned. "W-what happened to me?"

"I had to knock you unconscious. You were losing yourself because of your first kill."

Humphrey's eyes widened. "I… I what?"

"It's my fault… I only meant to teach you to stalk your prey. I never meant for you to attack. We can try again when you're older."

Images of his kill flooded into Humphrey's mind with crystal clarity. He remembered jumping onto the caribou. He remembered biting into it until blood spurted from its flesh… he remembered enjoying every second of killing that creature. And he remembered Winston tackling him… and the rage that filled him at being denied of his hunt.

Humphrey shook his head as his eyes widened with fear of himself. "What… what have I done!?" He looked at Winston, unsure and afraid. Winston looked at the ground and sighed. "This is my fault, Humphrey… you weren't ready, but I couldn't stop you. We'll put an end to your training for now… maybe when you've grown…"

Humphrey shook his head harshly, his eyes panicked. "No… never… I can't do that again! I WON'T do that again… What WAS that!? What kind of monster am I!?"

Winston looked at Humphrey with concern. "It was instinct, Humphrey. We must hunt for food. It's necessary for our survival. There's nothing _wrong_ with what happened… you just weren't ready."

Humphrey's heart thumped madly. "No… no… no, no, no, no, no! I _know_ hunting is natural. I _know_ we need to hunt to survive… but that's not the problem… I _liked_ it. I _loved_ it. I had such an amazing rush… from _killing_ a living creature. THAT'S NOT NORMAL!"

Winston tried desperately to calm the young wolf down. "Humphrey… please… just relax. You lost control… in the future, I'll help you. I'll teach you to keep calm."

Humphrey snarled at Winston. "NO!... I can't, Winston. Don't make me do that again… I-I don't want to…"

Winston looked at Humphrey seriously. "Your only other option is to lead the life of an Omega… While you'd play a huge part in keeping the peace, no one will ever take you seriously… You deserve more than that, Humphrey. I, as the leader of the pack, can't watch someone with your potential be looked down on."

Humphrey matched Winston's serious tone. "I will not hunt, Winston. Whatever _that_ was that came over me… I don't want to face that ever again."

Winston sighed. "Very well, then. There will be no Alpha training for you. I hope you don't come to regret this decision, Humphrey."

Humphrey smiled. "I won't, sir! I'll become the most peace-keeping, friendliest Omega around, I promise!"

Winston smiled at the young wolf. When he found Humphrey, lost without any memory of his true parents, he took him in and he was raised by the pack. Every wolf loved the young pup… and he showed great potential. Winston had hoped he could fully adopt him and make him the leader of the pack when he was ready to move on… but it would seem that Humphrey wanted to lead the life of an Omega… and the responsibility of leading the pack would fall to his first daughter.

"Hey daddy! Can we go play with Humphrey?" Lilly asked her father as she and Kate walked up behind him. Winston smiled at Lilly and nodded. "_You_ can… but Kate…" He looked over at his oldest daughter and sighed. "You're going to have to come with me. We have to start you off on your training."

Kate frowned. "Awww, dad… isn't it a little early? You told me I didn't have to start Alpha training until next year!" Winston frowned at the young wolf. "Sorry honey, change of plans. Now Humphrey, Lilly… run off."

* * *

Lilly giggled as she rolled around in the grass, the blades brushing her fur and tickling her. Humphrey stood staring at her… seemingly lost in thought. Lilly stopped moving as she realized that Humphrey wasn't going to play along. "Hey Humphrey… the grass is fine, you're welcome to join me."

Humphrey gave her a small smile and shook his head. "Sorry Lilly… I'm really not in the mood to play around today. I'm trying to think." She frowned up at him. She trotted up to Humphrey and looked him in the eye. "What're you thinking about?" Lilly asked, tilting her head to the side inquisitively.

Humphrey just sighed and said, "Oh, nothing big, really… just about life. What kind of part each of us is meant to play… whether I really want to be an Alpha or an Omega… or even part of a pack." Lilly's eyes widened a little bit, the young wolf shocked and a little confused that something like that would trouble another wolf her age. "Um… Humphrey… those kind of _are_ big things. Why would those things trouble you?"

Humphrey simply shrugged back at her. "It just does… I don't know… it's just… weird." Lilly smiled a little. This was where she excelled… this is where she's needed. She jumped on top of Humphrey and began to nibble onto his ear lightly. "Stop thinking, Humphrey… play with me! Come on, it'll be fun. I'll show you how Omegas spend their time."

Humphrey laughed and tumbled into the grass with her still latched onto him. He began to shake her free and wrestled with her. Lilly laughed and began to struggle against him, trying to hold him down. Humphrey's blood started to rush and his breathing quickened as the two wolves rolled around together in the grass.

His senses sharpened and his eyes started darting around rapidly. In the blink of an eye, Humphrey went from playing in the grass with Lilly to seeking to spill blood. He grew stronger and faster in an instant and he pinned Lilly against the floor.

Lilly smiled up at him. "Okay, okay, you win, Humphrey!" She laughed and struggled a little against his grip. Humphrey panted heavily and his hot breath pushed against Lilly's fur. His mouth began to salivate and his eyes dilated as he stared at her.

Lilly's eyes widened as fear and confusion began to grip her. "Humphrey!? Hey, are you all right!?" Humphrey bared his fangs in response, his body applying more pressure against hers, making her ache where he held her, helplessly pinned to the ground.

"Humphrey? What are you doing!?" Lilly cried out in panic.

_Hunt… kill… HUNT… KILL!_

Humphrey prepared himself to bite into Lilly's neck, ready to pierce her skin and veins until all the life left her body. Lilly screamed and tears began to flow from her eyes. "Humphrey, please, let me go!" She cried out with absolute fear in her voice.

Humphrey's eyes regained focus. His heart slowed. He closed his mouth. He released Lilly and backed away from her several steps. Lilly, frozen with fear, took several moments to stand up, her body still sore from where Humphrey held her down. She looked at Humphrey, who seemed just as afraid as she was.

"Lilly… I… I'm so sorry… I…"

Shame, guilt, and fear swirled in Humphrey's eyes.

"I don't know what I…"

Lilly, scared as she was, took a careful step towards him. "Humphrey… what just happened?"

He took another step away from her. "I'm… I'm sorry…"

Tears formed in his eyes and began to flow freely.

"I'm sorry…"

Lilly looked at him, apologizing and crying… backing away from her.

"I'm sorry…"

She reached a paw up to him. "Humphrey… it's okay… but tell me what happened…"

"I'm sorry…"

Tears continued to flow and Humphrey continued to back up.

"I'm sorry…"

Lilly slammed her paw against the floor, catching Humphrey's attention and making him stop for a moment. "Humphrey… stop apologizing. Tell me what happened."

Humphrey looked at her… scared and ashamed. "I… I'm a monster…"

Lilly shook her head softly. "No, no… Humphrey… that was an accident…"

Humphrey shook his head rapidly. "No… I'M A MONSTER!"

Lilly looked at the poor wolf… scared, crying, and ashamed.

Humphrey looked into Lilly's eyes…

"I'm sorry…"

And he took off… running from Lilly… running from what had just happened… running from the monster that had possessed him.

* * *

_You're a monster._

_You're a killer._

Humphrey lay awake in his den. Empty. Humphrey had never really minded that he didn't know his parents. The pack had always taken good care of him… but now he really just wished his den wasn't empty.

_You're a monster._

_You're a hunter._

Tears continued to fall from his eyes. His mind swirled with the images of what he'd done in his insanity. He'd murdered a caribou and relished in tearing it to shreds… he'd nearly killed Lilly while she was crying out beneath him.

_You're a monster._

_You're a predator._

Footsteps echoed throughout his small den. Someone was here.

"Humphrey?" Kate's voice rang out throughout his den. Shame and guilt churned within Humphrey at hearing her voice. He almost killed her sister… almost spilled her blood all over the grass.

"Humphrey… Lilly sent me to tell you that it's okay. She forgives you."

Humphrey clenched his eyes shut tightly.

"She knows you're sorry… she knows you didn't mean to do what you did…"

_Monster._

"It was an accident… it wasn't your fault…"

Humphrey got up and walked over to Kate.

"Not my fault? An accident? I almost _KILLED_ her!"

Kate looked him in the eye. She saw the pain there… the guilt. When Lilly told her that Humphrey had attacked her, Kate was furious. She was enraged. She wanted to chase Humphrey out of Jasper. She had half a mind to tell her mother what he did and let _her_ deal with him. But Lilly begged Kate to keep it between them. Lilly said that it was an accident and that he felt really bad for it… But Kate didn't think he felt bad enough.

"Kate… I'm sorry for what I did… I really am. And I need you…"

Humphrey swallowed. He looked at Kate seriously.

"I need you… to kill me."

Kate's heart froze. What did he mean? "Are you insane, Humphrey? Why would I do that!?"

Humphrey looked at her helplessly… seemingly afraid of himself. "I _AM_ insane, Kate… that's _EXACTLY_ why you'd do that. I'm not _normal_, Kate… I'm a _beast_. I'm a _freak_. I'm a danger to everyone and everything around me."

Kate looked at Humphrey, who was still scared, but also stern and determined. "Humphrey… even with what just happened… you'd give up your life so easily?"

Humphrey looked at Kate angrily, "Why is this even a question!? Are you not _mad_ at me? I almost killed your sister! It's my life to give up, Kate… and it's nothing worth keeping… not if I'm like this."

Kate bit her lip in indecision. She was really angry at Humphrey for what he'd done… and honestly, she'd wanted to see him suffer severely for it… But looking at him now, she felt that he's already suffered plenty.

Kate walked up to Humphrey and placed a paw against his face. "Humphrey… what happened?" Humphrey tried to look away from her. She wouldn't understand… he was an abomination. Kate walked closer to Humphrey and rubbed her head against his. "Humphrey… tell me."

Humphrey's eyes got a distant look. "I don't know what happened, Kate. One second, I'm playing with Lilly… just a little friendly wolf-wrestling. Then, everything starts losing focus. My eyes shoot around rapidly… my pulse quickens… my nose sniffs for blood… and if I can't smell blood, my body quickly acts to spill it."

Kate began to rub her head against his chest… sensing that it soothed him. "I… I can't think straight… I'm not _me_ anymore. This urge to kill something, to spill blood… it's so powerful. It roars in my head, and I can't control it…"

Humphrey began shaking severely… Kate could feel him trembling against her. He stopped telling her about how he lost his sanity. He was left speechless… his eyes glazed over as he was undoubtedly plagued with the memory of losing himself.

Kate shook Humphrey lightly to dissuade him from his visions. Humphrey looked at her helplessly. "Please, Kate… kill me. I can't live like this." Kate frowned. She didn't know _what_ to do with him… even if it was what he wanted… she couldn't kill him… not in this state, when he was so scared and vulnerable.

"I'll fight you…" Kate said softly. Humphrey looked up at her in confusion. "If that ever happens to you again, Humphrey… I'll fight you. I'm going to be an Alpha… I'll definitely be strong enough to keep you occupied whenever that… _thing_ comes over you. While I'm training in Alpha school… you learn to keep that side of you locked away. Keep it sealed. But if you ever succumb to it again… I'll fight you. I'll make sure you don't hurt anyone or anything."

Humphrey shook his head. "No… what if I hurt you? What if I _kill_ you? I can't allow you to take that risk for me. Please Kate… killing me is the easiest way."

Kate looked at Humphrey seriously. "I'm not going to do it, Humphrey. I promise you, I'll be able to protect myself against you. I will never leave you. Whenever that monster takes you, I will battle it until you come back. I will fight it with you. It can't possibly keep you out while fighting with me. I promise, Humphrey… as long as I'm around… I will keep you sane until you can lock away that _thing_ inside you for good. No matter what, I'll be here, fighting for you."

Humphrey's eyes watered. He wanted to beg her to see reason. He wanted to beg her to just end him and get it over with. It was safer… it was easier. Kate looked determined. "Humphrey, I won't take your life just because of something you have no control over. Please, Humphrey… give this a chance. Give me a chance… I'll be here for you… always."

Humphrey's heart thumped at that.

_Always…_

A life where Kate would protect him from himself.

_Always…_

A life where his den wouldn't forever be empty.

_Always…_

He hated having an empty den…

_Always…_

Kate looked him in the eyes. "I mean it Humphrey… I'll never leave your side until you can control your inner demon. I'll care for you. I'll fight for you."

Humphrey smiled at Kate… his chest swelling with his joy and gratitude that Kate would always be there for him. Nothing would separate them. Kate would fight for him and care for him. He nodded at her… and began to look forward to the life of an Omega.

* * *

**Author's Note 2: Well, there you have it. _I wanted to use this prologue to kind of give a little more backstory and depth to my main characters. I realize that this really takes the canon and throws it out the window... something that I really don't enjoy. I like sticking to the original concepts of characters and their personalities... but I really wanted to give Humphrey and Kate a little history to set the theme for this fanfic. Please guys, give me your feedback and tell me what you think. I'm really not too sure about this plotline and I'd love to hear what you guys think._**


	2. A Lonely Howl

_**Author's Note:**_** Okay, with our prologue set, I'm gonna try and dive right in. This is where the summary actually comes into play. Hope you guys enjoy. Please let me know what you think, or if anything is confusing or whatever else.**

* * *

_Several years later..._

Kate looked around for a sign. Anything that would disrupt the wedding so she could buy herself more time to think… buy herself more time to go after Humphrey and beg him to stay in Jasper. When no such sign came, she stared Garth in the eye. He smiled sheepishly at her.

"You… um… ready?"

Those words pounded through Kate's head. Was she ready? Could she really go through with this? What about Humphrey? What was she to do about him? Kate looked her father in the eye. He seemed concerned for her. Was that a sign?

Winston walked up to his daughter seeing the conflict on her face. "Kate… we can fight for the valley. It's not peaceful, but I'd sooner fight than force you into something you don't want to do. You're an Alpha... and as an Alpha... you have to be decisive and firm. It doesn't matter if you want us to fight for the valley. It doesn't matter if you want this to end peacefully. Whatever you decide to do, be sure of yourself. No regrets, Kate. If you're not ready… just say so."

Kate looked around once more. All of these wolves… they all needed to band together to ensure the survival of everyone. That or they needed to fight one another for their survival. This was much bigger than her. Much bigger than Humphrey. Much bigger than any individual wolf. She had to do this…

"I'm sorry, Humphrey…" Kate whispered softly to herself. She nodded to her father. "No… I can do this… I have to. This isn't just about me. It's about everyone here." Winston smiled as pride filled his chest. He couldn't have hoped for a better daughter.

Kate walked up to Garth and gave him a small smile. "Sorry… I'm ready now." She approached him and began the ritual. She accepted his scent and nibbled his ear... and steeled herself as they moved towards one another to touch noses.

* * *

Lilly watched and her heartbeat followed a chaotic rhythm as the strong, powerful Alpha she fell in love with was to be taken away from her by her very own sister.

_You're being ridiculous. Garth would never have chosen you anyway… you're just an Omega. You play all day and make people laugh. That strong Alpha wolf is way out of your league. You should've seen this coming._

As much as she told herself that… it didn't stop the pain. Lilly shut her eyes tightly and turned away as tears threatened to fall. When the howls of the wolves around her confirmed that the marriage was complete, Lilly turned and ran from the scene… her heart shattering, and the tears that threatened to fall flowed freely from her violet eyes.

Lilly wanted to run home… but she didn't want to have to face her mother and father. She wanted to hide. She wanted to hide and never be found. She wanted to run from Garth… from Kate… from everything. Eventually, she found herself in the one place in Jasper that nobody would think to find her… a small, empty den that used to belong to another Omega.

She stayed in Humphrey's den until late in the night, crying and thinking about Garth... and how he now belonged to Kate. She looked around the small den. It was so... lifeless. There was nothing there to offer her an ounce of comfort. How did Humphrey live here? He was so full of life and joy... yet his den was so empty. It only made her feel so much heavier.

A loud howl pierced through the night… it sounded pained… lonely. Lilly softly howled in response.

_I understand you, poor soul…_

* * *

Humphrey sighed as he neared the edge of the valley. He made it this far... he had to do it. He turned and looked back. In the distance, he saw all of the wolves from both packs gathered. He closed his eyes tightly. He dug his claws into the ground. Visions of Kate with him played through his mind.

_Don't do it…_

Kate's smile.

_Don't do it…_

Kate's laugh.

_Please… don't do it…_

A harmonious howl echoed out throughout the silence… Humphrey's heart sank… He began to run. He ran from Jasper. He ran from the injustice. He ran from his pain. He ran from his tears. He ran from Kate. He ran well into the night… He ran into something else he's been running from all his life.

Laughter echoed all around him. Humphrey looked around, wondering where it was coming from. Another burst of laughter. He began to freak out. A third burst of laughter erupted from his chest.

Humphrey realized that he was the one laughing. Yet he continued to laugh.

_Always?... Always, my ass!_

Humphrey knew that voice… He laughed some more, unable to control himself.

_She had to walk out on you sometime. I've waited oh-so-patiently for this day._

"NO!" Humphrey shouted… not this again… he couldn't face this again.

_Oh, dear Humphrey… that hurts my feelings. Is this how you welcome an old friend?_

"You're no friend… You're a monster! Leave me!"

_But if it weren't for me, you would never have known Kate's love. You would never know what it was like to care for someone so deeply… and have them RIP YOUR FUCKING HEART OUT._

A shrill, piercing howl erupted from Humphrey's throat, filling the night sky.

_Yes… howl your pain. Howl your agony. Let the world know of your suffering… and let the world know you now belong to ME._

Blood rushed. Humphrey's eyes dilated. He bared his fangs and they seemed sharper and longer than they had ever been before. Strength filled his muscles.

_You think Kate would like you NOW? You're probably stronger than any Alpha out there._

A single, lonely howl echoed through the night. It was soft, barely even audible… but with Humphrey's senses increased tenfold, he heard the painful response to his cry in the night.

_I understand you, poor soul…_

Humphrey seized control. He shook his head rapidly. Banishing the monster within. "I've kept you at bay all this time… I will not release you now." Laughter echoed in his mind.

_Not today, no… but you grow weak without HER. I will return. You will submit yourself to me. I will OWN you._

Humphrey snarled to himself. "BACK IN YOUR CAGE."

_You can't keep this up._

Humphrey weakly fell to the ground. Tears flowed from his eyes. He couldn't… not for much longer.

_I understand you, poor soul…_

Humphrey kept his mind focused on that soft howl through the night. He doubted that the wolf that called out to him _really_ understood what he was going through… but he clung to that howl and held it close in his heart. It was all he had to fight off the darkness.

_Save me._


	3. Misunderstood

_**Author's Note: Moving right along... it's actually very rare that I manage to get so much done. Inspiration and motivation aren't very kind to me. But I'm just gonna keep pressing on and hopefully you guys enjoy it. As usual, please leave me your comments and opinions and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading, guys!**_

* * *

Kate and Garth were escorted to a den that was cleared out especially for them. Kate sighed. This was to be her new life; living with another Alpha, leading the pack together. This was the stuff of dreams, to be honest. It's like a fairytale come true. She was married to an Alpha… a handsome, strong Alpha. And not only handsome and strong, but another leader of the pack. That was literally as close as you could possibly get to a Prince Charming… Yet, she felt despondent. She didn't know if it was contagious… but Garth seemed to feel the same way, too.

Thinking about him reminded her to set ground rules. She looked at Garth seriously. "Look… Garth… you're a great guy and all. A lot of girls would consider it a dream come true to be with you. But… I'm not one of them. Let's get this straight right now. There is _nothing_ between us. This bond was just set up by our parents to unite the packs."

Garth raised an eyebrow. "Ouch, Kate. You really know how to take a jab at an Alpha's pride. I understand… and I could just about say the same to you. I know that this was kind of forced on you, but I'm right there with you… to be honest… there's someone else for me. But I must've hurt her so bad by marrying you. I wonder if she'll even speak to me anymore."

Kate looked at Garth, sympathizing with him. She wanted to ask why _he_ didn't stop the wedding. He raised a paw. "I know what you're thinking… And I didn't because it wasn't meant to be. I didn't stop the wedding because of the same reason you didn't. It's more than just us. I mean, Kate… we're pretty much exactly the same. Like you said about me, I'm willing to bet that every male wolf…" Garth stopped and chuckled lightly… "and maybe even a few female wolves would want to end up with you. But the truth of the matter is… we don't care at all for one another. We both want someone we can't have. But we have a duty… and there's tradition. As much as it pains me to admit… we have to leave the Omegas behind."

Kate's eyes widened as she realized that Garth was right, and that he knew that she also loved an Omega. "How did you…?" Garth sighed. "Kate… we're Alphas. We're _trained_ to be sharp. I don't know what happened when you two were wolf-napped… but you fell for him. You fell for him hard."

Kate nodded solemnly, acknowledging Garth's words. Then something struck her as odd. "Wait a minute… you fell in love with an Omega too!?" Garth swore. He thought he'd managed to slip that by her… but then he realized she was an Alpha too. Sharp as a twig, and twice as deadly. He nodded and sighed again. "Your sister, Lilly."

Kate's jaw dropped. "You… and my sister?"

Garth nodded. "She's… amazing. She's so beautiful, and she doesn't even realize it. She's funny and she's patient… she taught me how to howl."

Kate involuntarily flinched when she recalled Garth howling for the first time… Her sister _was_ patient. Kate couldn't manage to listen to that for more than five minutes.

Kate then thought about her sister. Kate frowned as guilt slammed into her. She'd broken two hearts with her marriage. Humphrey was probably long gone by now… and Lilly was probably suffering somewhere out of sight. Kate's chest ached and she looked over at Garth who seemed troubled as well.

"Garth… you couldn't possibly let go of Lilly that easily, could you?" Kate asked him, sympathy in her voice. Garth shook his head slowly. As unbecoming as it was for an Alpha… he began to cry. "What else could possibly be done, though? My father, your parents... our packs… their survival hinges on this marriage working out." Kate tried her best to comfort Garth. Then she began to walk out of the den. "Come on, Garth…" she called out to him and beckoned him to follow her.

Garth walked alongside her until she led him to a small pond where the moon hung above both their heads and was reflected off the water.

Kate closed her eyes and breathed in the crisp night air. She let it fill her lungs and she howled, loud and clear through the night. At first, the sound was proud and strong… the howl of a true Alpha. But Garth's ears heard something else. He listened closely and heard pain and suffering. He heard guilt and regret. He heard Kate calling out to the night… expressing her regret and sorrow to those she had hurt.

Garth looked over at Kate. Tears flowed freely from her eyes as her howl filled the night. Garth thought of Lilly… her violet eyes and her white shining fur… Then an image of Lilly's violet eyes stained crimson by tears and Lilly's white fur ruffled and dirty as she sat somewhere quiet and secluded to soothe her broken heart popped into his mind.

Tears began to flow from him and he took a deep breath in. He howled alongside Kate… both of the Alphas spilling their regret out into the night sky. Crying tears of guilt and sorrow, they howled a powerful melody of Alphas… Wolves from their pack howled back at them harmoniously, cheering for the newlyweds. They didn't hear the regret in their howl. They didn't hear the pain in their song. It was a sorrow only they understood.

* * *

Lilly heard the howl. She recognized her sister's voice. She recognized Garth's… the nerve! She _taught_ him how to howl… and there he was… waving it in her face. Sharing the gift _she_ gave him with her sister openly… on their _first_ night of being a wedded couple.

Her pain bred anger. Lilly's tears began to dry as all of her pain turned to hatred. Lilly placed her paws over her ears and tried not to listen… she curled herself up in Humphrey's den and tried her best to lock out the sound of the howl of two powerful Alphas. Joined together.

It was impossible. Their loud song rang in her ears. She couldn't stay here. She couldn't live like this… hearing the wolf she loved howling at the moon with another. But where was she supposed to go? She wouldn't survive a day outside of Jasper. She couldn't hunt… she couldn't make a den… she couldn't really do much of anything.

_And you wanted to be with an Alpha… you're useless…_

She sniffled back her tears… and caught a scent.

_Humphrey..._

Lilly sniffed around the den… trying to follow the scent. She was no Alpha… but she would be able to get to him. Each howl filled her with more resolve. Lilly followed the scent… before she knew it, she was running as fast as she could to Humphrey, away from Jasper. She looked behind her one last time at the only place she considered home.

_It's crazy the things a wolf will do with a broken heart._

Lilly ran off, leaving everything she knew and loved behind.


	4. Poor Souls, Broken Hearts

_**Author's Note: It's... getting... hard... to... carry... on! Like I said, inspiration and motivation are very unkind to me. This chapter was written and deleted and re-written multiple times. I hope you guys enjoy. I don't know if I'll be updating for a while after this, but I'll try my absolute best.**_

* * *

Humphrey rolled around in tall grass clutching his head. Every moment, the darkness grew closer… it grew stronger. And despite Humphrey's best efforts to keep his head and focus on the one lonely howl that called him back from the brink of insanity… he was losing.

_I understand you, poor soul…_

Laughter.

_Oh… do they really? Do they really understand what it's like to have a darkness within them? Do they understand what it's like to fight their inner darkness for years just to have it haunt them when they're most vulnerable?_

Humphrey shook his head violently.

_I understand you, poor soul…_

More laughter.

_You're losing it, Humphrey. That one howl won't keep you at ease forever._

Humphrey bared his fangs at his unseen opponent. "Stop it! Why can't you leave me? What do you want from me!?"

_It's not what I want from YOU… it's what I want for myself and it's what you want for yourself. I want to hunt and I want to kill… and I'm a part of YOU. You may not want to admit it… but you want this just as much as I do._

Humphrey clutched his head tighter, trying to push the darkness back. "I don't… I don't want this… I just… want to heal. I just want to escape from it all."

_No… you want to spread your pain. You're no stranger to pain. You've felt it. You've known it… you HATE it. And you know… that if you feel pain, you'll be damned before experiencing it alone._

Humphrey froze and his heart thumped loudly in his ears. As much as he despised this part of him, those words caught his attention. "What… what do you mean?" he asked cautiously.

_Don't be a fool. If you're going to hurt… you're not going to hurt alone. You WANT to share your pain. You WANT everyone to share the agony you're going through. Even if you have to make them suffer yourself._

Humphrey snarled angrily. "NO! I'm not like that… you're lying! I would never hurt someone to make myself feel better."

Laughter.

_You've been denying me all your life, Humphrey. I've grown used to it. I know your willpower wears thin. You no longer have that Alpha keeping you sane._

Humphrey briefly lost control at the mention.

_Oh!? Is that how it is? Is that how EASY you're going to make this!?_

Humphrey panicked. The darkness laughed.

_HAHAHA! Oh, how will you ever live without the Alpha!? How will you keep me at bay without her!?_

Humphrey's heart started beating quickly. His blood rushed and his eyes darted around wildly.

_She's GONE, Humphrey! She ABANDONED you! She did love you… but she figured that her duty was more important than your love. She figured that uniting the packs was more important than being with a useless OMEGA._

Humphrey's despaired heart filled with anger.

_And now she's married to another Alpha. A strong, powerful, dependable Alpha… this isn't temporary, Humphrey. She'll probably LEARN to love him. She'll get used to their relationship. Kate is NEVER coming back._

Humphrey dug his claws into the ground.

_Kate should pay, no? She should suffer for what she's done to you. She's condemned you to the darkness!_

_Garth should pay, too. He should pay for taking away the one thing that's ever mattered to you._

_They should all pay. They WILL pay! You'll make each and every one of them pay!_

_They'll pay… they'll pay… they'll pay._

"They'll pay… they'll pay… they'll PAY!"

Humphrey's rage consumed him. The darkness chanted within him and he didn't even realize he chanted right along.

The darkness stretched out and rolled his neck around.

_It's good to be in charge again._

_Now… we can hardly take on an entire pack of wolves by ourselves. At least… not while we're rusty. Years without hunting or fighting… We're REALLY out of practice. Let us hunt!_

The darkness dashed through the woods, moving as swiftly and silently as a shadow. He sniffed several creatures in the surrounding area. He immediately went to work.

* * *

Lilly ran after Humphrey's scent. She pushed on tirelessly, as it was well into the night. She was only an Omega and she wasn't exactly sure what awaited her outside of Jasper. Especially in the dark of the night, she was scared to death of anything that would come after her.

Rain began to fall and thunder boomed overhead. Lilly shivered, both from fear and from the cold night air. She quickened her pace. The sooner she could find Humphrey, the sooner she could travel alongside him. Sure, he was an Omega too… but their odds together were better than their odds alone. She didn't understand how Humphrey left Jasper alone. She didn't understand how he wasn't afraid of the things that could possibly kill him.

A powerful force slammed into her and pinned her to the ground. Lilly gasped and kept her eyes firmly shut. Hopefully, the predator that had her pinned would make it quick, and wouldn't make her suffer. A loud snarl sounded above her. She recognized that sound. It wasn't a bear or a mountain lion. This was another wolf! She opened her eyes and prepared to beg for her life.

"Please! I'm just an Omega! Please, don't kill-" Lilly froze mid-plea as she stared into familiar blue eyes and grey fur.

* * *

The darkness looked down into violet eyes filled with fear.

_Another wolf, huh? Another Omega at that. Poor girl._

The darkness raised its paw and extended its claws.

_This is gonna hurt… A LOT._

"Humphrey!?"

His heart thumped loudly. His vision blurred.

_NO! NOT LILLY! NOT AGAIN!_

Humphrey pushed the darkness back. He regained enough control to push his body off of Lilly's and stumbled away from her.

"Humphrey! It's so good to see you!" Lilly called out as he violently shook his head, fighting with himself.

"I… um… I wanted to come with you… on your travels. When Garth and Kate-"

Humphrey roared loudly at her sister's name.

"Lilly… run."

_I JUST regained control! Damn that white wolf!_

Lilly looked at Humphrey with concern. "Humphrey… hey, are you all right!?"

Humphrey snarled at her. "I said _run, _damn it!"

Lilly shook her head slowly. She didn't understand. What was happening? Humphrey released a piercing howl through the night. Lilly flattened her ears and covered them with her paws… but she recognized the howl.

"Humphrey…"

Lilly sat firmly in place and howled back at Humphrey with all her heart.

_I understand you, poor soul…_

The darkness took control and rushed over to Lilly, with his fangs bared and his claws extended.

Lilly didn't flinch. She howled hard and loud and stood her ground.

_I understand you, poor soul…_

Humphrey froze in place and passed out two inches from biting Lilly's throat and slashing open her rib-cage.

Lilly took a deep, relieved breath. She looked down at Humphrey, and she instantly recalled the time that this happened when they were young pups. Something possessed Humphrey, and he almost killed her. She remembered looking into those blue, bloodshot eyes. She remembered feeling his hot breath against her as his fangs grew ever closer to piercing her throat. She remembered the shame, guilt, and fear in his eyes as he ran away from her. Lilly realized why Humphrey wasn't afraid of the things that could possibly kill him outside of Jasper… the only thing Humphrey was truly afraid of… was himself.

Lilly softly howled to Humphrey's unconscious body again.

_I understand you, poor soul…_

She nuzzled his head and tears escaped her eyes. "Poor, poor Humphrey…" She laid next to him and snuggled against him. "I'm not afraid of you, Humphrey. You may have almost killed me twice… but you stopped yourself. I believe in you. I believe you don't want to hurt me." Lilly whispered softly into his ear, before nibbling it gently.

She wanted to comfort him in any way possible. If he awoke crazed and killed her while she slept, so be it… but she didn't believe that he would. She was willing to take the risk. If she could make him feel better this way, she'd take the risk. Her broken heart reached out to his.

_It's crazy the things a wolf will do with a broken heart._


	5. Always

_**Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm trying my best to keep 'em coming along. As usual, please leave reviews guys, it's really what keeps me going. Let me know what you think, no matter what it may be. I'll try and have the next chapter up as soon as possible.**_

* * *

"Kate! Kate, Kate, Kate!" Eve and Winston ran into Kate and Garth's den, shouting for her. Kate awoke squinting at them. "What?... It's too early." Kate groaned in irritation. Garth shook his head and was standing straight up in an instant. He was quickly surveying his surroundings.

"Stand down, Garth. The danger isn't immediate." Winston said reassuringly. He turned to Kate. "Your sister's missing."

Garth's eyes widened. "What do you mean the danger's not immediate!? Have you searched the entire territory!? What about her scent?"

Kate stood and shook off her sleepiness. "Calm down, Garth. Be rational. You bring up good points, but relax." She looked at her parents calmly. She knew her sister. Lilly wouldn't have done anything too rash. She was mischievous and a little naïve… but she wasn't stupid.

"We've searched everywhere… and yesterday's rain cleared her scent. It's faint all over the place. There's really no way to 'follow' it."

Kate nodded at her parents. "We'll find her."

She looked at Garth who seemed extremely worried. "Don't worry, Garth, she'll be fine. And the sooner we get to work, the sooner we find her."

Kate left the den and sniffed around. Her sister's scent did linger in the air, but like her parents said, it was too faint to follow, scattered by the wind and rain. She looked back at her parents. "She wasn't in the den all night last night?"

Eve and Winston shook their heads softly. Eve looked on the verge of fainting. "Out of curiosity… did you two sleep last night?" Kate asked with concern. They shook their heads again. "But how can we sleep when our daughter's nowhere to be found!?" Eve shouted. Kate sighed and hugged her mom. "I'll find her and make sure she's safe, I promise. Go get some rest, mom… you and dad really need it."

Winston smiled at his daughter. Never did she cease to make him proud. Just yesterday, she made the ultimate decision to keep to her duty, and now she was hunting down a wolf that strayed from the pack, like a true leader. Winston led Eve to their den so that they could sleep.

Kate began to walk steadily. Garth trailed behind her. "So… how do we find her? There's no scent and no intel on her what-so-ever."

Kate shushed him. "You don't find a broken hearted wolf on instinct. You find her on intuition. Lilly's an Omega. She's our pack's image of joy and peace-keeping. She'd never allow anyone to see her crying."

Garth frowned. Lilly wouldn't be crying in the first place if he hadn't gotten married. Guilt ate at him.

"She probably cried all the way through the night… because she never returned to our den. Odds are she cried herself to sleep… meaning that she was probably in a den."

Kate kept thinking out loud, not realizing that she was completely beating Garth to a pulp with guilt. He didn't say anything to interrupt her thinking. Even as the ache in his chest grew, he didn't want to interrupt Kate… not if what she was saying would bring them closer to finding Lilly.

"Lilly wouldn't have crossed into Eastern Territory. Even with our packs united, she doesn't know your side of Jasper and wouldn't go there without an Alpha. And on the Western Territory, there are only two empty dens. One of which we were occupying."

Kate and Garth stood before Humphrey's den. "This is probably the only place she could've spent the night sheltered from the rain." Kate swallowed. She hadn't seen or been in Humphrey's den for years. Her heart ached. She looked at Garth… "I… I can't."

Garth nodded. "I understand. I'll check it out."

Garth walked into the den and found Lilly's scent. It was strong in the den, she was definitely here. But he could tell that she was all alone. The coyote's scent was nowhere to be found. Garth noticed that there were paw prints entering _and _leaving the den and assumed they belonged to Lilly.

_Where could she have gone?_

Garth's heart pounded as something occurred to him. He called Kate. She asked him what he wanted from outside the den. "Howl." He yelled back.

"What? Garth, this is hardly the time to-"

"Kate… just do it. Howl."

Kate howled softly outside the den. The sound made its way into the small den and bounced off the walls, echoing loudly in his ears. He slowly left the den. Tears flowed from his eyes. What had he done?

Kate stopped howling as she saw Garth exit the den. She looked at him and instantly fear gripped her heart. She thought something terrible had happened to Lilly. "What did you find? Why did you ask me to howl?"

"She heard us…"

Confusion crossed Kate's face.

"She heard us howling… together."

Understanding sparked and realization struck.

"There's no way she could stand hearing the two of us howl together. She… probably left Jasper."

Kate and Garth took off instantly. They ran together, sniffing wildly to catch Lilly's scent. Outside of Jasper wasn't safe. Not for an Omega. Tears flowed freely from Garth's eyes as he desperately hoped that Lilly hadn't gotten hurt… or worse.

_Please be okay…_

_Please be okay…_

_Please be okay…_

Several Alphas saw the two new pack leaders zipping by and followed them quickly. Candu called out to Kate. "Hey Kate! Where are you going!?" Kate didn't slow down. She yelled back to him. "Lilly's left Jasper!" Candu stopped dead in his tracks and howled loudly. A large group of Alphas left Jasper, following on the tails of Kate and Garth, sniffing for Lilly's trail.

* * *

Humphrey awoke in a daze. He felt the warmth of another wolf snuggled up against him. Humphrey realized that Lilly had slept alongside him and his heart thumped at seeing her face in front of him. He nuzzled her head softly and appreciatively. She had brought him back from the darkness. She had saved him. He rose and smiled down at her as she slept. Then his smile faded as he began to think.

He couldn't stay. For the second time in his life, he had almost allowed the monster within him to kill Lilly. Why she had spent the night by his side, he didn't understand. He was grateful for her attempt to comfort him, but she put herself in grave danger. If the darkness had controlled his body when he awoke, Lilly would've already been dead.

_Hello, Omega. Looks like you're awake._

Humphrey bared his fangs at thin air.

_Ooh, scary. What, you think you have the willpower to fend me off now?_

Humphrey looked down at Lilly. She had helped him. He was able to stop himself from killing her again. Maybe Lilly couldn't fight the darkness like Kate could… but she was definitely capable enough to help him lock it away.

"It's not about the willpower. It's not about fending you off alone. It's about being helped."

_HA! That's pathetic. No wonder you chose to be an Omega. You're utterly useless alone. Instead of accepting me… and becoming so much stronger and better… you chose to be nothing but absolutely pitiful. We could've done great things together._

Humphrey scoffed. "Like what? Murdered millions of creatures? 'Together we could be great'… you do realize that any and every evil being that's _ever_ existed has used that line to recruit, right?"

Laughter…

The darkness lifted its paw and extended its claws. Humphrey struggled against it.

_You really ought to stop fighting me. The white wolf means nothing… you're still all alone and hurting. Broken love doesn't heal so easily. And as long as your heart still aches, the odds of me assuming control are in my favor._

* * *

Lilly awoke with a cute yawn. She heard Humphrey pattering around and snarling nearby. She looked at him with concern. She didn't know if he was a monster or an Omega… at least for the moment. Lilly steeled herself… she believed in Humphrey.

"H-Humphrey… is that you?"

Humphrey looked at her. His eyes were bloodshot and his breathing was shallow. "L-Lilly…" he managed before he turned away.

"Humphrey… it's okay. It's gonna be okay. I'm here for you."

"I… told you… to run. Please Lilly, you must run."

Lilly began to shake her head. She couldn't leave him like this. It wasn't fair for him.

"God dammit, Lilly! This isn't about believing in me. This isn't about believing I don't want to hurt you. I _don't._ But this _thing_ gets harder and harder to control. Your survival is based on _dumb luck_… I don't like those odds, and I don't want you here when that dumb luck runs out!"

Lilly frowned. "Humphrey… please, let me help you. I… can't leave. I have nowhere else to go." She walked up to him and hugged him tight. "Tell me how I can help you. Please… just let me stay."

Humphrey pushed her away. "I don't _know_ how you can help me. This _thing_… it acts completely independent of me. I don't know what it wants… I don't know why it's there… but it is, and I don't know _how_ to make it go away. For the most part, I thought it had gone away when your sister began to help me fight it whenever it took control."

_Kate_.

Humphrey's heart began to beat frantically. He clenched his jaw and shut his eyes tightly. Lilly took notice at how he reacted. That was it. Humphrey's darkness… it took control because of Humphrey's weak spot for her sister. Lilly didn't know if Humphrey heard Kate and Garth howling together, but she was sure that Humphrey knew that they were married.

Lilly rubbed her head against Humphrey's chest. "I… I may not be my sister, Humphrey… but I won't leave you. Not alone… not with that _thing._" Humphrey breathed deeply and calmly as Lilly rubbed against him. Kate did the same thing to him when they were pups… when she made the promise to fight his darkness alongside him.

Humphrey looked at Lilly. "Why are you here, Lilly? Why didn't you stay in Jasper? Why did you follow me?" Tears inevitably fell from her eyes. "I love Garth, Humphrey. When you and Kate-"

Humphrey tensed. Lilly felt him stiffen against her and she cleared her throat. "When the two of you were taken to Idaho… I spent time with Garth. Gave him a tour of the Western Territory… got to know him." She looked at Humphrey sadly. "With the packs united… and more importantly the two wolves that united them… It hurt too much to stay in Jasper."

"But Lilly… was it really so unbearable that you had to risk your life to come all the way out here? It's not safe being out here alone." Humphrey said with concern. Lilly offered Humphrey a small smile. "I could say the same about you. You didn't leave Jasper because of the impulse to become a lone wolf. We're both Omegas, Humphrey. Your odds were just about as good as mine."

Humphrey frowned at her remark. "I don't think that's necessarily true."

Lilly narrowed her eyes at him. "_Your_ odds were just about as good as mine, Humphrey. That _thing_ could probably bump up your chance of survival… but that _thing_ isn't _you_. And I know you'd sooner die than let it take control of you."

Lilly moved her head from Humphrey's chest and nibbled his ear. "I'm not going to leave you, Humphrey… not when you so obviously need _someone_. Nothing's going to pull me away from you. No responsibilities, no marriage, no inner monster that you can't control. There's nowhere else for me but Jasper, and I'm _not_ going back. We could be a team, Humphrey… being world travelers together. I want to see what kind of adventures that you took my sister on."

Humphrey nuzzled Lilly's shoulder softly. She placed a paw around him. "I don't care if it's not safe. I'll always be with you."

Humphrey's heart throbbed.

_Always…_

There it was…

_Always…_

Yet again…

_Always…_

Was he really willing to take that risk again?

_Always…_

Tears welled up in Humphrey's eyes. Lilly was just like her sister. He wiped his eyes and hugged Lilly. "Thank you, Lilly… Thank you…" Lilly accepted the hug and buried her head into his shoulder. "It's no big deal, Humphrey… really. I need this as much as you do." Humphrey howled softly against Lilly's fur.

_You saved me._


	6. A Broken Promise

_**Author's Note: Sorry guys, had to re-upload because everything came out in italics for some reason. If some random formatting error comes up again, I may take this chapter down and re-post it at a later date. Anyway, please leave your reviews and tell me what you guys think!**  
_

* * *

_Two weeks later_

Humphrey smiled and looked over at Lilly, who was playing with her tail under a tree. She giggled as she brushed her nose against it. They'd spent the last two weeks connecting and Humphrey couldn't help but smile every time he looked at her. Humphrey had done his best to stay away from her because of what he'd done to her when they were young… but now he really wished he had taken the time to get to know her sooner.

In the past two weeks, she'd shown him turtle impersonations and he'd shown her log sledding. They talked, played, and lived very happily with each other. Gathering food wasn't quite easy for the two Omegas, but they had managed to keep from starving.

Marcel and Paddy landed right in front Humphrey. "You… are a very tricky wolf, monsieur." Marcel said with irritation. Humphrey was quite surprised to see them. "Imagine my surprise when the train rolls by, and you are not around to board it." Marcel huffed.

Humphrey chuckled. "I'm sorry Marcel… I, um… I was a little… off-track." Marcel rolled his eyes. "You know, we're not _like_ you wolves. You go missing and we can't find you by sniffing the air. After you had disappeared, we had to take shelter from the storm and we had no clue where to start looking."

Paddy looked over at Lilly and snickered. "So, Humphrey… you didn't take off from Jasper at a hundred miles per hour… and you've got quite the lovely white wolf with you. Could it be that you've settled your woman troubles so quickly?"

Humphrey laughed. "It's not like that, Paddy. She's Kate's sister. We're just… friends."

Marcel laughed loudly. "Ha! You wolves make me laugh. And you, my friend, are truly a deviant! Making nice with the sister of the woman whom you once loved! There is no better way to rebound, no?" Humphrey shook his head. "It's really not like that, guys. Anyway… what are you doing out here?"

Marcel cleared his throat. "Being the great sportsman that I am, I have come looking for you to offer you aid. Wherever you may want to go, I will provide you with directions. May I suggest a romantic little lake where the stars shine bright and the moon is its largest?"

Humphrey looked over at Lilly. When he found out that Kate was going to go through with the wedding… he wanted to leave Jasper and get as far away from it as possible. He didn't ever want to see Kate again. But now… with Lilly around, he didn't want to go too far away.

Jasper was the only home that Lilly ever knew. Humphrey didn't want to take that away from her. As it was right now, Humphrey and Lilly were both healing because they were two silly Omegas who had foolishly fallen in love with Alphas.

As much as he hated to admit it, he knew Lilly would heal, he knew that he would heal. And even though the darkness within him would keep on trying to escape and take over… he'd be able to fight it with his emotional wounds patched up. He didn't know what the future had in store for either of them… but he didn't want to take Lilly far away from Jasper in case she ever wanted to go back.

Lilly trotted up to them and made loud slurping noises as she licked her lips. "Oh Humphrey, how sweet… you brought us dinner!" She followed up by crouching down and narrowing her eyes. Humphrey laughed even as Paddy and Marcel froze with fear.

"Lilly… these two are Marcel and Paddy. They guided Kate and I back home when we were taken by the humans."

Lilly straightened herself and let out a cute laugh. "You two should see your faces! Oh my god, you thought I'd actually pounce onto you and eat you up." Paddy and Marcel laughed nervously at that remark. Lilly walked up to each of them and licked each of them playfully.

"Since you're friends, I suppose just a taste will have to do. Name's Lilly." The two birds laughed nervously again.

"What brings you around here?" Lilly asked them with a smile.

Humphrey's smile faded. "Um… Lilly… we need to have a talk." He told her seriously, and pulled her to the side.

* * *

Kate gathered with several other Alphas in Eve and Winston's den. Both of the Alphas looked tired and worried. Garth's eyes were bloodshot. He had taken a heavy toll in this hunt. Kate hasn't seen him sleep since the day they found out that Lilly was gone.

Hutch stepped forward first. "We have to abandon the search."

Eve bared her fangs angrily and snarled. "We're _not_ going to stop looking for her. That's my _daughter_! You useless Alphas have to double… no, triple your efforts!" Winston placed a paw against Eve's back. "Eve… be reasonable. It's been two weeks and there's no trace of her."

Eve's anger redirected toward Winston. "Be reasonable!? How am I supposed to be reasonable when my daughter, a helpless Omega could be miles away from home!? What if she's hurt? What if she's _dead_!?"

Kate stepped forward to try and calm her mother. "Lilly's not dead. Nor is she hurt… at least not badly. The night she disappeared, the rain had scattered her scent. We had no lead. We could send all of our Alphas running every which way outside of Jasper… but with no scent to follow, it would be no use. We don't _know_ where to look. If she was hurt badly and bleeding, we'd have picked up on it. If she was dead, we'd have picked up her scent eventually. But with two weeks gone and no scent or sight of her… she could be several hundreds of miles away from here by now."

Eve's anger dampened and she slowly turned her back on the group of Alphas. Garth dug his claws into the ground. Kate sighed. "I know Lilly's only an Omega… but hey, Humphrey's out there too, and he's probably making it. They may not have instincts that are as sharp as us Alphas… but Omegas are resourceful. They find different ways to make us laugh and keep us happy all the time, don't they?"

Eve scoffed. "Resourceful doesn't count for _anything_ out there, Kate. We're not the _top_ of the food chain. If an Omega can't fight, they can't joke their way out of danger! Omegas _need_ protection!"

Eve's remark made Kate angry. "Omegas aren't useless, mom! They're not pathetic wolves that can't fend for themselves! Humphrey taught me that. When we were taken away to Idaho… sure, at times he was dead weight and he slowed me down, but honestly, I don't think we'd have made it back at all without him!"

Eve's scoff turned into a laugh. "You're the finest Alpha I've trained. You would've found your way without that coyote. Humphrey's _stupid_. He _chose_ the life of an Omega even though he was perfectly capable of becoming an Alpha! _He_ could've been the next leader of our pack!"

Kate froze at those words. "W-what!?"

Eve's eyes widened as she realized she attracted the attention of every wolf in the den, aside from Winston's, who was looking away.

"What do you mean, mom? What do you mean Humphrey would have been the next leader of our pack? What do you mean he could've been an Alpha?"

Eve sighed. "Winston… I'm sorry I let it slip… but it's probably better that you tell them."

Winston took a deep breath and looked at all of the Alphas in his den. "Humphrey, as most of you know… wasn't born into this pack. We found him… We don't know where he came from, or what he was doing in Jasper, but he was a young pup who was just running through our fields. It took me and Eve a long time to catch him. We figured since he was so cunning and quick… that we'd adopt him into the pack and train him as an Alpha."

"The pack loved him as a young pup. All of the adult wolves had a hand in raising him. At a young age… I began to train him myself. He showed so much promise. He was sharp, quick, and very agile… more so than even any of you now. It was then that I began readying Humphrey to be a pack leader. I was going to adopt him completely, and let him take my place."

Hutch and Candu looked at Winston like he was crazy. "You're joking, right? Humphrey? There's no way… he's just… an Omega."

Winston shook his head. "Everything changed when I took Humphrey out to stalk his first prey. He attacked without my say so… And he _killed_ the caribou. Pierced its neck and tore its carcass up… Humphrey had successfully killed a full grown adult caribou as a young pup."

This shocked every wolf in the den… except Kate. Kate's heart started beating quickly.

"But… he began to lose himself to instinct. He tore the caribou up, and began to look for another thing to kill. It's called going feral. Feral wolves are illogical, powerful creatures. They live only to hunt and kill. They're creatures of hate and rage… and that hatred and anger makes them stronger than most Alphas. I've only seen a handful of feral wolves, all of them capable of fighting _and_ killing multiple Alphas. I managed to knock Humphrey out and told him what had happened when he came to. At that moment, Humphrey told me that he didn't want to hunt. He didn't want to lose control again. From that point, he decided to become an Omega… and I had to start training Kate immediately to ready her to be the leader of our pack."

Memories flashed through Kate's mind. She'd forgotten about Humphrey's inner monster. It had been so long since they've had to deal with it.

_I'll be here for you… always._

Her eyes watered. How… could she have forgotten?

_I need you… to kill me._

What had she done?

_I'll fight for you._

How could she have been so blind?

_I'll care for you._

How could she have been so stupid?

_I'll never leave your side…_

"Humphrey…" Kate muttered out loud. Tears fell from her eyes as she slowly backed out of the den. Did he leave Jasper… because he didn't want his inner darkness to attack the pack? Did he leave Jasper to kill himself because Kate was no longer there to fight off his darkness!? Kate's heart throbbed. She made a promise to Humphrey. She promised to fight for him, to protect him… and she broke that promise for her duty.

Kate's eyes widened as something else occurred to her. If Lilly left Jasper… and Humphrey was running around as a feral wolf… He could kill her, like he'd almost done when they were young. Kate began to panic. "Humphrey… couldn't contain his feral side… not without me."  
The Alphas all looked at Kate in confusion. "Humphrey's feral side was always fighting with him, coming out and attacking anything and everyone that was around him… even as we were young pups. But I fought him. Whenever it happened, I fought with him to keep him from hurting anyone. But without me to fight it off… Humphrey's probably running around as a feral wolf."

The Alphas became unsettled.

"We _must_ find Lilly… before he does."


	7. A New Love, Born and Torn

**_Author's Note: Here we go. Yet another chapter for you guys to chew on. As usual, please review, and hopefully I'll publish a new chapter soon!_**

* * *

"Um… I don't mind where we go, so long as we're together." Lilly said with a smile. Humphrey sighed. "Lilly… we're both healing from our recent relationship issues. But… when those relationship issues resolve themselves, what then? Are you sure you really want to keep travelling with me? I've been able to keep the darkness tame for a while now, and it's all thanks to you. I'm so grateful that you've helped me so much… but what about you?"

Lilly frowned. "I've told you that I have nowhere else to go, Humphrey. Honestly, I think we make a great team… Wherever you decide to go, I'll go with you. I don't care where it is."

Humphrey shook his head softly. "Lilly… you have a family. Even if Garth and Kate hurt you by marrying each other, Kate's still your sister… and Eve and Winston are still your parents. You still have a family back in Jasper. Are you sure you want to leave that all behind? I mean… I'll be okay, Lilly… thanks to you. You were everything I needed. I'll never forget you and what you've done for me… and I don't want to take you away from others who care and worry about you." Humphrey told her.

Lilly closed her eyes and thought about her parents and her sister. She loved them… and she felt bad that she didn't tell them that she was leaving. If anything… they were probably searching frantically for her right now. But… it wasn't fair. Tears filled her eyes at the injustice.

Lilly was loved. Even though the Alpha she fell for got married to another, Lilly still had a family that loved her. Her mother… her father… and her sister all cared for her. But what about Humphrey? If Lilly left Humphrey and returned to Jasper to be with the wolves that cared about her… he would be all alone again. Who would care for Humphrey?

Lilly shook her head. It wasn't fair. Not at all. "I'm not leaving you, Humphrey. Not all alone. Not again." Humphrey gave her a fake smile. "I'm never alone. I've got a crazy, angry demon inside of me to keep me company." Lilly narrowed her eyes at him. "That's not funny… and that's exactly my point. I can't leave you alone until we're sure that he's gone."

Humphrey gave her a more earnest smile, thankful for her concern. "You won't be leaving me alone. I'll always remember that you took care of me. I'll always remember that you helped me. Whenever I howl at the moon, your howl will be there with me. Whenever I go log-sledding or see an upturned turtle… your adorable laugh will be there with me. Whenever I wake up in the morning and I feel like I'm alone… your beautiful, violet eyes will be there with me."

Lilly's heart fluttered. Kate was stupid. Kate was very, very stupid. Lilly hugged Humphrey and sobbed. Humphrey held her close. "I'm gonna miss you, Lilly… But you've got others who are probably missing you a lot right now."

Lilly lightly nibbled Humphrey's ear, like she had done so many times before… and for the first time, Humphrey nibbled her ear as well. Lilly blushed and closed her eyes as they shared this closeness.

Lilly let go of his ear and whispered to him. "I'm not going to miss you, Humphrey. There will be no reason to miss you."

Humphrey was shocked to hear that, and he pulled back to show her his confusion. When he did so, he felt Lilly's small nose press against his. He didn't believe it. All he could do was stare into Lilly's violet eyes as she rubbed her nose against his.

When she pulled back, blushing from her own boldness, she looked away from Humphrey, unable to meet his eyes. "I… I'm not going back to Jasper, Humphrey… I'll always be with you. That was the deal. I promised."

Humphrey slowly shook his head and began to stammer. "Lilly… no… the past two weeks… what's happened between us… it's just… it's been…"

Lilly smiled and met his eyes. "It's been paradise, Humphrey. It's been simple. It's been fun. Garth… he broke my heart… and I was ready to never love any other wolf ever again. But you, Humphrey… I couldn't help but love you. You so obviously needed it… but I found that the more I gave… the more you gave back."

Humphrey smiled. "But… I'm no Garth, Lilly." Lilly laughed. "No… you're not. You're better. I fell in love with Garth because he was a handsome, dependable Alpha… strong and proud… and dreamy. But in the end, Humphrey… all I really need is another Omega to make me happy. These past two weeks… We haven't been eating large caribou because we're not Alphas. We haven't been living in large, comfy dens because we're not Alphas. We haven't exactly been _safe_ because we can't protect ourselves as much because we're not Alphas. I'm hungry, I'm uncomfortable, and I'm not safe… but I can honestly say I'm happier than I've ever been."

Humphrey's chest filled with pride and joy. He cared about Lilly… and he was so glad that even though he wasn't an Alpha… he was able to make her happy. Lilly nervously smiled and swished her tail through the air. "I… um… I'm sorry I just… _married_ you without your permission… but Humphrey, I do love you… and that's so you know that I'll never leave you. So um… do you accept?"

Humphrey took a stern expression and walked toward Lilly deliberately. Lilly flattened her ears and frowned as her eyes began to water. Did Humphrey not accept her? She lowered her head, shut her eyes tightly and braced herself for Humphrey's anger.

He licked her snout. Lilly gasped at the action and her eyes shot wide open. Humphrey was smiling at her. Lilly couldn't help but stutter. "W-what? You looked angry… I… thought that…"

Humphrey chuckled softly. "_That's_ for telling me you wouldn't miss me and tricking me." Humphrey then leaned down and nuzzled her nose softly. "And _that's_… for loving me."

Lilly smiled and nuzzled against Humphrey's nose as her unshed tears instantly turned to tears of joy. The two wolves sat together, contently nuzzling one another when something struck Humphrey and Lilly was pulled in the opposite direction.

* * *

In the flash of an eye, Humphrey was sent flying into a tree, three of his back bones snapping on impact as he yelped in immense pain.

"I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU!" Garth roared as he charged towards Humphrey.

Kate, Candu, and Hutch continued to push Lilly away from Humphrey and Garth. Lilly looked around frantically, trying to understand what was happening.

"Lilly, you're fine, Garth is going to take care of Humphrey, he won't hurt you anymore…" Kate told her sister calmly.

Lilly began to panic.

"Leave him alone!" Lilly shouted back to Garth as she began to fight against the three Alphas pulling her away. "Please! Don't hurt him!"

Humphrey whimpered as he tried to stand. His vision blurred as he spotted Garth charging towards him. "W-wait… please…" Humphrey managed before Garth lifted a paw, extended his claws, and swung, leaving three large, bleeding gashes on Humphrey's side.

Garth pushed him to the ground, and bit Humphrey's neck. Humphrey yelped loudly and tears filled his eyes. "Lilly! Lilly, where are you!? Please... come back..." He screamed out for her.

Garth's anger mounted. "How DARE you speak her name!"

Lilly tried her best to cry out to him. "Humphrey! Please, Humphrey… stay calm! GARTH! Stop it!"

Kate shook her head as she continued to drag Lilly away. "Lilly, you're delirious… Humphrey could _kill_ you… you don't remember what happened when we were pups!? That's _not_ the Humphrey you knew. That's a monster!"

Lilly snarled. "He's _not _a monster! And if he _was_, it would be all _your_ fault! Let me go! I have to help him!"

Garth bit down hard, until he felt blood gushing from Humphrey's neck. Humphrey slowly started to lose consciousness. His vision grew darker each second.

Garth spat Humphrey's blood back onto him. "Useless Omega… You can die alone… but don't drag others down with you…"

Humphrey's eyes opened wide and his pupils dilated.

_Useless…_

He bared his fangs as rage filled him.

_Alone…_

He snarled as his muscles grew stronger, as his blood rushed.

_Surrender._

Humphrey howled, one last time into the night...

Lilly heard the shrill, piercing howl through the night. It sounded pained… and alone. Tears stung Lilly's eyes. She _couldn't_ lose him… not like this.

Lilly tried to take a deep breath. She put her heart and soul into her lungs and howled.

_I understand you, poor soul… I love you, Humphrey…_

Lilly's howl was cut short as the Alphas pushed her further away from him. Anger and worry filled her, she snarled as she fought them. "God dammit! Let me go! Humphrey! Please Humphrey, don't lose yourself!"

Kate shook her head. She really didn't want to do this to her sister… but she really didn't think she had much of a choice. Kate raised her paw and swung down onto her sister's head, knocking her out.

_I'm sorry, Lilly._

Kate allowed Candu and Hutch to take her. Kate ran back towards Garth and Humphrey. Garth was lying on the ground, breathing harshly. Humphrey stood in front of him, covered in blood. His eyes were angry and red, just like the blood that dripped from his teeth.

The darkness showed her a sinister smile as she came up to him and bared her fangs.

"_Oh… Kate, Kate, Kate… Just look what you've done."_

* * *

**_Author's Note 2: BAM. I've been stressing over this part since chapter 2, guys. I wasn't sure if I wanted LillyxHumphrey and KatexGarth or KatexHumphrey and LillyxGarth and I didn't know how I'd go about it. Luckily, I've taken the plunge, and I've decided on LillyxHumphrey and KatexGarth. Please guys, leave your reviews and tell me what you think, this was a huge milestone in this fic and I'd love your opinions.__  
_**


	8. Edge of Madness

_**Author's Note: Ah-ha! Finally! A little controversy on pairing is all it took to get a little feedback. THAT'S what keeps me going. THAT'S what makes writing so satisfactory. Hearing "good job" and "well done" is great, and I love it, but even more than that, I love hearing your deep opinions and what you guys REALLY think. I'm glad you guys stepped out of the comfort zone and your opinions have been heard! However, as I've written and written, I began to love the pairing of LillyxHumphrey more and more. I, as a writer, can't turn my back on a pairing I've worked so hard to develop and have become so fond of... but at the same time, it's your support and reviews that keep me writing to begin with. So, I'm happy to announce that I WILL be eventually posting a re-written version of "When a Wolf Walks Alone" where our beloved canon pairings face their trials and resolve them, still managing to be together. For those of you that will take KatexHumphrey to the grave, I'll get to work on it immediately... but I DO hope you'll stick around and give Lilly and Humphrey a chance. Thanks so much for your support, guys, and I hope you continue to enjoy my work.**_

* * *

Humphrey closed his eyes. He was tired. He didn't care anymore.

_Surrender_.

Humphrey couldn't take it anymore. Everything he loved… everything he tried to take care of… it always fell apart… and he was tired of fighting with himself. Darkness swallowed Humphrey. He was so scared… so alone… and it made him so angry… but in the end… he was too _weak_ to do anything about it.

_Why have you fought me for so long?_

Humphrey opened his eyes to see himself… his eyes were red and his fur was black… but none-the-less, that was him. Humphrey sighed. "Does it matter anymore? You win… I give up. I can only hope someone kills you before you do too much damage."

_Kills "us"._

Humphrey rolled his eyes. "I'm tired of you. You act like a part of me… but I want nothing to do with you. There _is_ no _us_. There's me and there's you… and neither of us _want_ to be stuck together… yet here we are.

_You've dodged the question. Why have you fought me for so long? Why have you denied us what we NEEDED?_

"I'm nothing like you. That's why I fought you. And I didn't _need_ anything but to heal."

The darkness shook its head. _You're lying. You seek to share pain. You seek to make people understand your hurt and your agony. You seek to hurt them… maybe even kill them… whatever it takes to make them understand the ache of your heart._

Humphrey snarled. "You've _WON_, god dammit! You _have_ my body… leave me alone!"

* * *

Images flooded Humphrey's mind. Images of his parents. Voices echoed throughout the silence.

"_You're in our territory, leave or be killed."_

"_Hey, we're just three friendly Omegas passing through, can't you just let us go? We won't cause any harm."_

"_Heh… your lady friend's really pretty. Nice, blue eyes. Tell ya what… you and your son may pass… but the lady wolf stays here and 'helps' us. Gets very lonely for us wolves up in these mountains."_

"_Please, just let us through… we're not looking for any trou-hey!"_

"_Let go of me, you wretched dogs!"_

"_AH! The bitch bit me! Hey, you've fucked with the wrong pack."_

_"Mom! Dad! NO!"_

"_Humphrey… run…"_

_"Get the runt!"_

Humphrey remembered watching the life drain out of his parents' eyes. He remembered watching as their blood stained the ground below them. Humphrey remembered how fear didn't even register. All that came over Humphrey was the pain... pain and anger. His parents… were just snuffed out… so easily. Humphrey shook his head rapidly.

Rage consumed Humphrey. His parents were gone… They would never play with him again. They would never tell him they loved him. No one would… Humphrey was all on his own. His chest ached, and that only made his anger peak higher. Why did this have to happen to him!? Why did his parents have to die like this!? Why did he have to sit there and watch!? Why did he have to suffer through this!?

_No… THEY will suffer. THEY will FEEL what they've done. I'll RIP THEM APART._

Humphrey bared his fangs. He quickly surveyed his surroundings and his opponents.

"_Ha! Looks like the lint-ball wants to fight. Come on, boys… Let's… what? Wait… what the fuck!? Oh my god… oh my god! No! Please! NO STOP!"_

Humphrey's memory was crystal clear. He remembered how he relished in their cries of terror. He remembered that he broke each of their bones, individually. He cut wounds so deep that blood gushed freely from their bodies. Humphrey laid each of them out in the dirt, every single one of them was bleeding, crying, and afraid. Every time they passed out, Humphrey bit the tip of their tail and ripped the end off. Waking them with agony… so they could _bleed_ to death. As the life drained out of their eyes, Humphrey spat on their cold, lifeless corpses. Humphrey remembered it all.

* * *

_You see, Humphrey. You NEED me. It was ME who avenged your parents. It was ME who __made those wolves pay. You hate to suffer… and whenever you're made to suffer… you NEED to spread your pain… otherwise, you're nothing but a useless, pathetic, good for nothing Omega. Without me… you die without a fight… just like your parents._

Humphrey shut his eyes tightly. The memory pained him so much.

_I am the incarnation of that memory, Humphrey. Your hatred… your rage… it was far too much for a young pup to deal with… so you buried me._

Humphrey shook his head. "Stop trying to make a point. You _have_ control… go nuts."

_HUMHREY! This isn't about making a point. This isn't about me taking control. This is about you growing up. I am a part of you, Humphrey. You don't like it, and neither do I. It's ugly… but it's our life. You come to terms with it… and you have control again. Of yourself… and of me. Or… you could let me destroy EVERYTHING._

Humphrey shook his head violently.

_Kate… Garth… Winston… Marcel… Paddy… Lilly… I can kill them ALL. I can lay them out in the dirt… bleeding, crying, and afraid._

The image flashed through his mind. All of the wolves that helped raised him, laid out and bleeding, crying out in pain. Humphrey gritted his teeth.

_I could kill everyone. I could destroy anything and anyone that comes near me. I could make them writhe in pain… and your den… no… the entire Jasper territory… EVERYTHING will be empty … forever. _

Empty…

Empty…

Humphrey hated being empty…

* * *

Kate helped Garth up and he leaned against her. "He just… became so strong… out of nowhere." Garth muttered and coughed up blood.

Kate looked at Humphrey and her chest ached. He was gone… she _knew_ that he was… but she had to come clean. "H-Humphrey… I… I'm sorry. If you're still in there…"

The darkness laughed loudly… an evil, maniacal sound. _"Oh, irony! How you wish to make amends with the Omega… yet there's no sign of him here. And that's all because of YOU."_

Tears stung Kate's eyes. She shook her head. She wasn't going to listen to it._ It_ was a monster. _It_ had consumed Humphrey. _It_ had destroyed one of the kindest, happiest wolves she had ever known. She narrowed her eyes at Humphrey's inner demon. "That body doesn't belong to you."

The darkness continued to laugh. _"Oh indeed, it doesn't. But how could I refuse a gift you so carefully delivered straight into my paws?"_

Kate snarled. Anger overtook her. This monster has plagued Humphrey for years. Kate had promised to fight it alongside him… but she turned her back on him because of her duty. It wasn't fair to Humphrey, and her heart throbbed with her sorrow and regret… but the least she could do was what he asked all those years ago.

_I need you… to kill me._

Humphrey vanished before her, just as she was centimeters from charging into him. More laughter echoed around her.

"_You still think you can handle me, Kate?"_

The sound of tearing flesh rang in Kate's ears. Garth yelped in pain.

"_I've grown stronger… faster… and Humphrey's rage feeds me more power!"_

Kate cried out as claws dug into her shoulder and cut deep into her skin. The claws pulled her flesh, ripping and tearing it as the Humphrey's demon slashed her back. Kate felt blood gush from her wounds and tears began to flow from her eyes. She bit her lip to keep from whimpering. She sniffed wildly for Humphrey's scent. She couldn't catch it anywhere in the air.

"_Now… you and Garth here… will DIE!"_

Garth roared in agony. "You son of a bitch!"

Kate's vision blurred as tears obscured her vision.

_Stay conscious, Kate… stay focused._

Piercing blue eyes cut through the darkness and stared straight at Kate.

"H-Humphrey?"

The eyes seemed hurt… confused.

"Humphrey, is that you?"

They flickered from blue to red.

"No! Humphrey… it's me… it's Kate. Don't you remember? Please, Humphrey… fight this."

A low growl came out from the darkness.

Garth snarled. "Show yourself!"

"Where's Lilly!?"

Garth snapped his teeth. "We're not telling you _anything_!"

Kate barked loudly. "Garth, enough! We're taking her back to Jasper, Humphrey. She belongs there."

Humphrey walked into plain sight. He sighed. Kate tensed as he approached her. He laughed when he took a look at Kate and Garth. "You two look awful…"

Garth trembled as he tried to stand, his wounds bleeding profusely. "I… I'll kill you, you bastard!" Humphrey laughed again. "Go ahead, Barf. Go ahead and try it. I've been waiting for someone to kill me for a long time."

Kate's heart throbbed at those words. She could've ended his suffering years ago… instead she gave him false hope… and salted his wounds. Kate sighed. "Garth… go home."

Garth's eyes widened. "No, Kate, I'm not about to leave you with-"

"GO… HOME." Kate ordered between clenched teeth. "Lilly might need to talk to you. There are things that need to be sorted. I want you to make sure she's okay."

Garth grunted as he struggled to his feet and staggered away from the Alpha and Omega. Kate tried to reach out to Humphrey, but he pulled away from her. Tears fell from her eyes. "Humphrey… I… I don't know what to say… except… I'm sorry."

Humphrey shook his head softly. "It's not your fault, Kate."

Kate looked at him with confusion. "How could it not be, Humphrey!? All these years… I vowed that I'd fight for you and that I'd help you… but I turned my back on you."

Humphrey looked up at the night sky. "It was never your responsibility to begin with. It was unfair of me to put that burden on your shoulders… as was the burden of asking you to kill me."

Kate moved up to Humphrey and rubbed her head against his chest. "I didn't mind, Humphrey… I didn't want to kill you… and I didn't want you to have to struggle with that _thing._" Humphrey smiled and closed his eyes.

"I was supposed to be the leader of the pack, Kate… but because I couldn't face my dark side by myself… that responsibility fell to you… and it's that very same responsibility that took you away from me." Humphrey said calmly. "You had a duty to uphold. It's taken me time to get over my pain… but it's happened with time, and with your sister's help. You're an Alpha, Kate. Why should I take you away from your duties and responsibilities?"

Kate buried her head deeper into Humphrey's chest. "Humphrey… I love you…" Kate muttered into his fur. Humphrey sighed as he pulled Kate into a hug. She sobbed against him. "I love you… and I'm… so, so sorry… I didn't stop the wedding… I didn't chase after you… I completely forgot about what I swore I'd protect you from."

Humphrey nuzzled the top of her head. "Shh… shh… it's okay, Kate. It's okay."

Kate looked up at Humphrey with pleading eyes. "Humphrey… I… I know I've been awful to you… and I know it's unfair of me to expect anything from you… but I'm really sorry… and I don't care what it takes… Garth and I agree that we mean nothing to each other. It could be a fake marriage! Humphrey, you matter to me… and I was so stupid to abandon you the way I did."

Humphrey's eyes flickered from red to blue. Confusion and hurt warred within him. Kate's eyes widened as she noticed the change. She clutched him tightly. "No! Humphrey! Stay with me, please… Don't let go!"

Humphrey shook his head and placed a paw against his head. His vision blurred. "I… I need to talk to Lilly." Humphrey said, his breath growing shallow.

Kate's heart throbbed. "Why…?" Kate asked, bracing herself for Humphrey's rejection.

"I'm sorry, Kate… but it is what it is." Humphrey muttered quietly. "I-I… I need to speak to her, Kate. I need to speak to her _soon_."

Humphrey's eyes flickered from blue to crimson red.

Tears filled Kate's eyes. The gashes that Humphrey's darkness had left in her back throbbed. Kate shook her head as regret and shame filled her. Kate couldn't fight for him anymore. Kate could no longer save Humphrey from himself. Her very own sister was Humphrey's new savior.

_I'm sorry, Humphrey…_


End file.
